Things are, as usual, busy in the neighborhood – here’s some of what’s happening

Our November meeting will take place on Monday the 10th, postponed a week because many Board members are active in election matters. Although we’ve relocated our meetings to Lovett Library, the community room is not available that week, so the meeting will be held at the EMANOffice. (Wiedemann Bldg. basement, Lutheran Seminary Campus, 7301 Germantown Ave.)

Our December meeting will be back at Lovett, but also postponed a week to December 8th. (The 1st is right after Thanksgiving weekend, & that could seriously limit attendance.)

The Board meets in Executive Session at 7:00, & the meetings open to the community at7:30. As always, we hope you’ll attend!

“Paws on the Pavement”, EMAN’s annual community dog walk, was an enjoyable event, on a picture-perfect Fall day! Both dogs & their humans had a good time, got some exercise, spoke with pet-focused service providers & got treats. Several people showed up even though they don’t have pets, & they were among the folks who enjoyed it most.

Our “dog party” absolutely would not have been possible without our outstanding partners: Queenie’s Pets & the Mt. Airy Animal Hospital. We’re grateful for their support & generosity. And, besides — working with Hakim Franklin & Adina Silberstein is always a pleasure!

We have just learned that mechanical leaf collection will return this year! The dates for the collection in East Mt. Airy (between Germantown & Stenton Aves.) are in mid-December: Wednesday, 12/17th: Vernon Rd. to Washington Lane and Thursday, 12/18th, Vernon Rd. to Cresheim Drive.

Bagged leaves will not be collected at curbside this year, but 22 drop-off sites will be available, open on Saturdays from 9 till 3. The closest to us is at Washington Lane & Ardleigh St. They will not be open on holiday weekends. For schedules, locations, & other info about the City’s leaf collection program, go to

On another recycling note, please note that plastic grocery bags are NOT among the items you should put in your collection bins. There are locations for recycling these bags at most supermarkets, so bring them along when you do your shopping.

Safety Updates

First, you may have received a “robo-call” regarding an uptick in residential crime in the 7th police district. We’re in the 14th, & the call was evidently sent to the wrong list, but lots of concerned residents have contacted EMAN, WMAN & the 14th PPD.

While there has not been an unusual increase in burglaries in the 14th, that doesn’t mean we are crime-free & can relax our safety practices. A home on my block was burglarized last week, during the day while the residents were at work.

Keep up your usual, common-sense precautions, like locking your doors & locking ground-floor windows when you leave your home, & not leaving valuables visible in your vehicle. If you have an alarm system, use it. Outdoor lighting, particularly lights that are motion-activated, can be a deterrent to burglars. Get to know your neighbors; we have to look out for each other. Be alert out on the street.And, as always, if you see something suspicious, call 911 immediately.

Second, (& I can hardly believe I’m having to let you know about this again), the man who solicits cash donations for the “East Mt. Airy Girls Track Team” is back. This has been going on for years. Sometimes he claims to be from EMAN, but we hear he has expanded his area to the West side. He carries a composition book in which he records your contribution.

HE IS NOT FROM EMAN! There is a legitimate Mt. Airy track group, based east of Stenton Ave., but they DO NOT SOLICIT door-to-door, & are not happy that their group’s reputation is being damaged by this man.

This man is very friendly & personable — but he is stealing money from generous residents who’d like to support youth sports. So PLEASE DO NOT GIVE HIM ANY MONEY. And call the police if he visits your block. Captain Fleming is aware of the activity, & would really like to stop him.

With Halloween coming up on Friday, we have a couple of safety reminders.

Little costumed trick-or-treaters will be out on the streets starting at dusk, & safety might not be at the top of their minds. Be careful driving & look out for children, because they might not be looking out for you.

Parents, we know we won’t be the first to remind you to check your children’s bags of goodies before they’re allowed to eat any of it. While they’re not expecting anything horrible to be distributed, our local Town Watch volunteers have asked us to pass along that suggestion.

PLEASE vote on November 4th!

There are important positions on the ballot, (like Governor), & clear differences between the candidates on major issues. I am not suggesting a particular choice, but am urging you to take part in the process & get out there & vote!

Calling it a “mid-term” election makes it feel less important to some people. It’s only “mid” presidential elections. State offices matter a great deal.

If you have questions about polling locations, ballot questions, candidates’ positions, etc., there’s a reliable, respected, non-partisan source of information — The Committee of Seventy. You can visit their website (www.seventy.org ), or call 215-SEVENTY (215-738-3689) to speak to a real person. This phone hotline operates year-round, with customer services from 9-5 on weekdays.

Another kind of vote will happen on November 6th, as EMAN, Awbury Arboretum & the Lutheran Theological Seminary join forces to present the 4thannual “Cookin’ With WHO?” chef’s competition, from 6:30 till 8:30.

Ten local people of note will be competing for the Mt. Airy Platinum Spatula& the People’sChoice award. Attendees will receive voting coins at the event; you can also support your favorite chef with a vote by making an online donation ($10 = one vote). Representing EMAN: Larry Daniels, BoardPresident; Laura Siena, former ED of WMAN & long-time community advocate; David Young, ED ofCliveden of the National Trust. You can visit the event website & see videos of all the chefs talking about their recipes & their commitment to the community.

Many thanks to the always-generous community businesses who are event sponsors: Elfant Wissahickon Realtors, Electrical Wizardry, & Valley Green Bank. Many area restaurants & businesses have donated gift certificates & other items for our silent auction, as well.

Tickets are $50 in advance, $60 at the door. Last year, we had so many “at the door” attendees that we ran out of some of the dishes; we’ve addressed the food volume problems, so no worries there.

This is a fun way to support 3 nonprofit organizations that work to maintain & improve the quality of life in Mt. Airy, in different ways. For more info, to see the Chef videos, to purchase tickets: www.ltsp.edu/cookinwithwho?

Other neighborhood events:

If you have too much clutter & “junk” in your house or garage, & are looking for a solution to that problem, there will be a Community Fun Day & Yard Sale at Houston School on Saturday, 11/8th, (raindate 11/9th). You can sell or shop. Bring your own blanket or table. The organizers recommend that sellers donate 50% of their proceeds to Friends of the Houston Playground, the neighborhood group that maintains the space. (And they’ll even take unwanted items that you don’t sell to Goodwill for you, & save you a trip.)

Mt. Airy USA will be hosting a Home Improvement & Energy Efficiency Workshop this Saturday, 11/1st, which will cover topics from repairs & improvements to how to avoid unscrupulous contractors. The location will be the MAUSA offices, 6703 Germantown Ave., Suite 200. The workshop is free, but donations will be gratefully accepted. Call 215-844-6021 to reserve your spot.

A request for help:

We’re all familiar with the good work of Meals on Wheels, a national program that provides meals to house-bound folks who might not eat regularly without them.Chestnut Hill Meals onWheels has several clients in Mt. Airy. However, they need donations to continue their work for the clients they serve.

If you’re contemplating a holiday donation to an organization that is food-focused, & you’d like to help out (even though it’s a month before Thanksgiving), contact Pat Harrington at 215-233-5555, or pat@chestnuthillmow.com

More neighborhood news………….

EMAN is happy to welcome Karima Bouchenafa as the new Executive Director of our sister organization, West Mt. Airy Neighbors! Karima shares our view that we’re all one neighborhood, & that EMAN & WMAN are pursuing the same goal — a better Mt. Airy. We look forward to working with her.

Local news reports are telling us that contract negotiations are continuing, but there’s still a possible SEPTA bus/subway strike in the near future. (Regional Rail lines will not be shutting down service.) The union has promised to give the public 24 hours notice if a strike is to happen.

Many people in Mt. Airy depend on SEPTA to get to work & to school, as well as for shopping trips & leisure activities. While the trains will be running, & adding extra cars, they will be crowded, & maintaining schedules might be a little iffy with all the additional passengers.

It’s better to make plans for an emergency & not have to activate the plans than to scramble around trying to figure out what to do if the emergency happens. Talk to people at your workplace or schools about carpooling. Consider using resources like “NextDoor”, a private neighborhood website. There’s an East Mt. Airy group with over 100 members on NextDoor & people from outside our immediate neighborhood are welcome to join. Go to www.nextdoor.com to find out about the site or to sign up as a member.

Be sure to visit our website, www.eastmountairy.org ……….we try to keep our community calendar of events up to date.

And while you’re there — become an EMAN member, if you haven’t done that yet! We are working every day to make our good neighborhood better, working with other community organizations, local elected officials, the 14th PPD, L&I, the Zoning Board & City Planning Commission, etc.

And we can only do “extras” like the web calendar, these e-newsletters, our community dog walk, & other fun activities, with your support.

Enjoy the refreshing Autumn weather & the beautiful show the trees are putting on for us!